Letters

LETTERS

My voting experience on Tuesday gave me reason to be extremely concerned about the integrity of the Maryland voting results ("Making history," Nov. 5).

When I arrived at the voting reception station in my local precinct in Severn, I extracted my voter registration card from my wallet and attempted to offer it to the reception clerk. The clerk would not take it but instead verbally asked for my name, address and date of birth.

Thinking that this was a preliminary check to see if I was registered to vote, I quickly offered this information.

After he conducted a search in his database and found my voter registration entry, I attempted once again to present my voter registration card to prove that I was, in fact, the person I claimed that I was. Again, the clerk did not want it. In a few moments, he gave me a printed receipt and a plastic card to insert into the voting machine, and instructed me to wait in another line for a voting machine.

While waiting in a second line for a free voting booth, I began thinking about the inadequate voter identification process.

I know the names and addresses of several of my neighbors. With a little attention to detail and data-gathering, I could easily obtain their dates of birth as well. So any unscrupulous person who wished to tilt the voting process in favor of a specific candidate could do so without much difficulty.

Voter registration cards are issued for a reason. Why are we not required to present them at the polls to identify ourselves as registered voters?

With so much concern about unscrupulous partisan politics and illegal immigrants, am I the only person who is concerned about this issue?

Dennis Howe, Severn

A chance to lead in a new direction

I believe the election of Sen. Barack Obama can be summed up by two statements made by former presidents ("It's Obama," Nov. 5).

John F. Kennedy said, "The torch has been passed to a new generation."

Gerald Ford said, "Our long national nightmare is over."

Let us all pray that this brilliant and talented young man can lead our country in a new and productive direction.